


The Dead Man's Hand

by Undertale_Writing_Challenges



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dubious Consent, Ecto-Genitalia (Undertale), Ecto-Penis (Undertale), Ecto-Tongue (Undertale), Ecto-Vagina (Undertale), Established Relationship, Handcuffs, Incubus Red, M/M, No Safeword, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Poker, Porn, Rape/Non-con Elements, Riding, Self-Hatred, Sort Of, Soul Sex, if you squint real hard you can see plot, soul swallowing, tra la la beware the woman who is bad at tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:08:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26389171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Undertale_Writing_Challenges/pseuds/Undertale_Writing_Challenges
Summary: "Eventually, Blue runs out of steam. Sits back down next to Red. The silence that falls is uncomfortable, and it’s all Red can do to just sit there, suffering in his own humiliation, feeling Blue’s eyes boring holes into the side of his skull where he’s turned away.'Red… look at me.' Blue’s voice had softened into something sweet. Red, drawn like a moth to a flame, lifts his head and turns back to face Blue..."--Red is a demon who feeds on sex. Blue is his mortal lover.When Red starts to neglect his own needs because he feels like he's betraying Blue, Blue takes matters into his own hands and does something that'll either make or break their relationship.
Relationships: CherryBerry, Sans (Underswap)/Sans (Underfell), Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 64





	The Dead Man's Hand

**Author's Note:**

> **WARNING**  
> This fic contains rape/non-con elements. It's not in the background either. Detailed content warning in the end notes if you want to be safe and check it out.
> 
> HOLY SHIT THIS FIC TURNED OUT TO BE A GODDAMN BEAST! I was planning to write 1,000 words or so of incubus Red tearing Blue's ass up-- where the fuck did all this poker come from, what the hell?
> 
> This fic is inspired by a kustard fic about basically the same thing only Sans is in Blue's place. I can't find it for the life of me, but if any of you know what I'm talking about, drop me a link so I can add it.
> 
> Of course this is another prompt mod and I came up with but it wasn't fleshed out, and was more like "lol wouldn't it be hot if red was an incubus?" ((fun fact that we actually called him a succubus)) We didn't really run with it, but it was one of the prompts I always wanted to write because it sounds spicy as hell. This fic ended up getting severely out of control, and because it's so far off from what we originally were talking about, I'm just posting it as its own separate work instead of putting it in the AU fic dump. 
> 
> not sure anyone wants to be hit with a random 8,000 word chapter over there after months of my silence.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy! 
> 
> (sidenote i did like 0 research on incubus before this so if anything seems out of place, i'm very sorry. red isn't explicitly stated as an incubus in the fic, it's just tagged that way for a lack of a better term. if you want to check out my headcanons for sex demon red, go check them out in the end notes)

Poker.

Before Blue, Red had never lost a hand. Granted, he tends to keep an ace up his sleeve, quite literally, but even when playing straight Red had a vicious win streak. It’s part of the fun of being a demon. He can read someone like a well-loved book with just a micro-expression.

Even the best poker face has a tell, and Red’s become a master of spotting them; calling bluffs and betting recklessly, he cleans out humans and monsters alike for their money, and when they’re all out of ante, he offers one last round for their night spent in his bed.

And Blue, bless him, wears his Soul on his sleeve, displays himself as proudly as one would a trophy. Red laughed in his face when he challenged him to a game of poker. Thought it would be too easy.

Couple of hours later, he was groaning his defeat into the cushions of the couch as Blue celebrated his lucky as fuck, four-of-a-kind winning hand.

As it would turn out, Red made one fatal miscalculation. _Blue isn’t as he appears._

He’s the same as he always is, even during poker, chittering and giggling, and just being the brightest thing on the planet. He’s always glowing, always lit up like a light bulb; visible from miles away but still no tell on what he’s really feeling or thinking. It’s impossible to tell if he’s excited about the story he’s telling or if he’s excited about the pocket aces he’s got.

Red is basically forced to play blind whenever they decide to spend the night playing cards. It’s almost unfair; _Blue_ doesn’t appear to be at the same disadvantage. Red thought his poker face was an ironclad defense, but it seems Blue can read him just like Red can read other people.

It’s awful being on the other side of things. Frustrating that _he_ was the one being ruined out of all his bets. Infuriating that all Blue ever does is smile and ask politely if he wants to play again. 

And yet, clashing head to head with his smaller partner like this, challenging each other at every turn, is intoxicatingly exciting.

No one had ever been able to even compete with him at poker before, let alone beat him, but Blue proves his superiority every time cards are dealt and chips fall to the table. He puts him in his place time and time again, and Red keeps asking for more, basking in the knowledge that Blue can do what no one else can.

It’s like they were made to be together.

_“fuuuuck,”_ Red groans out, astonished, as he watches Blue pull the last of his chips back over towards his pile. Playing with chips was pointless, they didn’t really gamble any money away, but it was more fun that way. Something satisfying about the way the plastic pieces clack against each other when they get thrown into the pot. Something cute about the way Blue stacks his chips up as neatly and evenly as possible. Something funny about the way Blue huffs and puffs and stubbornly rebuilds his tower after Red ‘accidentally’ bumps the table.

Something Soul-warning about the way Blue boasts and brags and giggles, stars in his eyes, as he cleans out Red for everything he’s got.

Normally, he’s a sore loser, but his little mate could beat him as much as he wants, and Red would still accept the rematch, just to see the triumphant look on Blue’s face when he wins _again._

But that look _isn’t_ on Blue’s face. Instead, he seems almost sad, picking chips up one by one from his new profits and stacking them neatly in front of him. He builds a new little tower of color, though it’s just a waste of time. The game was over and he’d be putting those plastic pieces back any time now.

“That went fast,” Blue says idly, resting his chin on his fist and flicking his eyes back up to Red. “It’s almost like you threw.”

“i’d never throw for anyone; not even you, baby Blue. yer just that good,” he croons, truthfully. He really hadn’t thrown, and he didn’t really have to anyways. Blue kicked his ass, as he always does. 

Red had just felt confident with his cards, and that confidence screwed him. At the end of their game, he’d desperately gone all-in on the next good hand he got. Kings over aces. The cards on the table were shit, save for the pair of kings. Red thought he was in the clear, but as it would turn out, those pocket aces he’d been joking about earlier had come to fruition, and Blue beat him with the reversed house. Aces over kings.

Shitty luck, and Red has no one to blame but himself. It had been his deal.

Blue sighs, reaching over his chips to gather up the cards. “How about one more hand?”

Red snorts, leaning back against the arm of the couch, gesturing over to his incredibly tokenless side of the coffee table. “ain’t got shit left to bet with,” he says roughly. “ya took it all from me.” There’s no venom in his voice, no jealousy or spite. He’s not upset about losing. Instead his tone drips with pride and with love, and it makes Blue flush every time like he can’t believe Red _still_ is impressed when he’s beaten.

Blue flusters on cue, and he turns away for a second before looking back with twice the intensity in his eyes. “Bet something else then,” he offers.

“like what?”

He hums, thoughtful, before pushing one of his towers into the pot. “A kiss.”

Red flounders for a second, genuinely surprised by Blue’s request. He sits up straight, covers Blue’s other hand with his. “ain’t gotta bet for that, sweetheart. you know i love ya, n’ i love kissin’ ya. don’t even hafta ask me for that, baby Blue.”

Blue’s eyes flicker with challenge. He leans forward, tilts his head just slightly, and demands, “Kiss me, then.”

So Red does.

He meets Blue’s mouth with a soft _clink,_ magic sparking between their teeth. Just that small bit of his mate’s energy is enough to light his body on fire, so he pulls back, biting back the pained noise he wants to make at his Soul’s screaming, sudden demand to feed.

But he plays it off, smiles at him, sits back up with his hand still over Blue’s.

Blue doesn’t seem impressed, staring at him with a flat expression, before moving back into Red’s space. “A real one.” He breathes, the words brushing across Red’s teeth like a cruel imitation of his mate’s kiss.

‘A real one.’ Right. 

Kissing was the closest thing to the intimacy he craved that he allowed himself. It didn’t drain too much of Blue’s energy, and they could make out as much as they wanted with no real fear of Blue’s magic levels dropping critically low.

Recently, though, Red hadn’t exactly been… feeding. His own magic is beginning to dwindle, and his Soul had been begging for relief, lighting up his desire and muddling hungriness and horniness into one confusing mess of need.

Recently, he hasn’t been kissing Blue, either.

He’s so starved that just the smallest taste of his mate’s magic almost has him losing control. He hasn’t just been avoiding kissing either, he hardly spends time with his mate alone anymore. Whenever they’re close, Red finds himself being driven to the brink of insanity just by the scent of Blue’s magic in the air.

This poker night is the first time in a while that Red has spent in the other’s proximity for longer than just a few minutes. He’s been neglecting Blue, and Blue’s taken notice.

_Of course he noticed._ Red’s been treating him like the fucking plague. Blue probably thinks he hates him.

Blue crosses his arms at Red’s sustained silence, leaning back and eyeing him sharply. He sighs again, gesturing to the chips on the table. “Bet for it?”

Red exhales shakily, before relaxing back against the arm of the couch. “s’your deal.” 

Blue looks nothing short of _crushed,_ and Red can understand why. Shit, he’s making him play _poker_ to win his attentions for fuck’s sake. He could say he was just playing along for the fun of it, but really, he knows it’s because he’s _too scared_ to kiss Blue. Too scared that he’ll lose control. 

Gods, this was all because Red couldn’t fucking control himself. No, actually, it was because he was being careless and hasn’t been feeding even though Blue had assured him countless times it was okay.

If he’s being honest, it really all stems from the fact that he’s a fucking demon and could never possibly be enough for Blue. Could never be what Blue deserves. All Blue deserves is someone who can hold him and love him without the possibility of accidentally killing him. 

All Blue really deserves is for Red to just say fuck it and lean over and kiss him. What he’s asking for is so small, and it would be so easy for Red to give in.

It’s not like he doesn’t want it.

He wants it so bad it burns.

Blue makes a noise to get Red’s attention as he deals him two cards. The smile is back on his face but it’s all wrong, broken around the edges and just a little too wide. He’s trying to hide from Red, but he can see through him. He can see that he’s hurting him. What a paradox Red lives in; hurt Blue physically by kissing him, hurt Blue emotionally by not. 

Blue picks up his cards, glancing at them, and for a split second, his undecipherable poker face falls. Red sees his expression like a chink in his armor, something not many would notice unless they’re looking for it, something many pray isn’t found. And what he sees… Well—

_Blue doesn’t like his hand._

What he sees doesn’t give him the assurance he thought it would.

Red jerkily picks up his cards and looks at them for the first time.

_Pair of kings,_

His mind supplies, helpfully.

  
And then adds, less helpfully,

_Gonna win._

He should be relieved. If he wins, he doesn’t have to pay up and possibly end up hurting Blue. But if he wins, Blue will be even more heartbroken, especially if Red doesn’t just kiss him anyways. It’s a double edged sword, and Red still hasn’t quite figured out which side he wants to land on.

Red has nothing to bet. Blue deals the flop.

_Three of a kind._

His breath catches as he watches the king of diamonds turn over. Red glances back up to Blue and sees him looking at his cards. His expression is a little broken, split down the middle, half hope and half dread. He’s calculating the odds that he’ll pull a win out of his ass and coming up with 0.

He deals the turn.

Red finds himself studying the cards on the table, trying to find out what Blue could possibly have. It’s all a jumble of junk cards, the only face being the king. They’re all different suits, and they aren’t close enough in number for Blue to pull a straight. So far, Red’s hand is the highest. 

The river.

Red looks one last time in Blue’s direction, sees the disappointment completely unguarded on his face and… breaks. He slams his cards face down on the table, hard enough that it makes Blue jump, and pushes them away. 

“fold.”

He’s lost his goddamn mind.

Red has folded his will along with his cards. An illegal move of sorts, considering he’s technically all-in, but he doesn’t want to win. 

Blue stares at him, surprised, halfway through laying his cards on the table. Slowly, he slides his cards back into the deck, understanding flickering across his face. They’re very obviously not playing by the rules now, and Red’s very obviously throwing.

‘ _never throw for anyone; not even you, baby Blue.’_ What a joke. He’d do anything for Blue and he knows it.

If this were a real game of poker, Blue could have just taken the kiss instead of waiting for a new hand. But then again, if this were a real game of poker, Red would be betting the chips he would have won.

It’s his deal. He gathers up the cards, and looks down at the deck in his hands. Blue’s busy tidying up the chips in the pot, leaving Red unattended to deal the cards. Rule number one when playing poker against Red, always pay close attention if it’s his deal.

To be fair though, cheating to ensure your loss is much different than cheating to ensure your win.

He’s quick about it, thumbing through cards while he shuffles, setting up the cards in a way that will have his pair of 10s up against Blue’s pairs of aces and 8s. Random and inconspicuous. 

  
It’s when he’s clearly planting the ace on the bottom of the deck that Blue catches him. They look at each other for a minute, before Blue turns around to fiddle with the chips some more, looking like he’s trying too hard to seem like he’s not watching. It gives Red a chance to finish up his set deck.

They don’t talk about it, but they both know.

He deals the cards, and Blue is silent as he picks them up. Cautiously, he looks up at Red, and murmurs “If you think this is weird we can play another game or watch a movie or something.”

Translated;

_I can tell something’s bothering you, and I know you’re doing this for me, do you want to quit?_

There’s an obvious out for him, just sitting there. If he says yes, Blue will drop this forever. He’s kind and caring and understanding like that. But Red doesn’t want Blue to go on, silently suffering, never having the courage to ask for a kiss again just because Red showed the slightest hint of discomfort. He wants to do this for Blue.

Red steels himself and replies, “no, ‘m havin’ fun.”

The game goes exactly as planned. The cards he’d so carefully picked out are placed on the table, one after another. He’s not slow and dramatic like Blue, he just lays down the 5 cards in a row, placing down his ‘hidden’ ace last. They both reveal their cards. Blue wins. Red doesn’t even need to look.

Turns out Blue doesn’t either, if the way he immediately starts to crawl over into Red’s space is any hint. 

“you won,” Red observes for lack of anything better to say.

Blue murmurs back “I did.”

And then it’s silent for a moment, the two of them with faces close enough to feel each other’s breath. They stare at each other, sockets wide and pinpricks of light blown. There’s something in the air. Something thick. Something heady. Something…

_Sinfully delicious._

“It’s… almost like you lost that one on purpose.” Blue says softly, breaking the sudden silence.

He’s being considerate, ignoring the very obvious way Red _did lose on purpose_ , but still pointing it out just to make sure Red knows he didn’t get away with it.

“if the prize for losing a poker game is a kiss from you, then i’d lose a million more.” Red says, honesty and sheer want making his voice sound rough. 

Blue makes a soft little noise and kisses him hard and fast. The last thing Red sees before he’s pushed under a wave of his own desires is his mate’s eyes shifting into giant, wobbly hearts.

The first spark of magic has him moaning, pressing up for more like a man dying of thirst being given his first sip of water. He licks his tongue into Blue’s mouth, desperate and eager for anything his mate is willing to give him. As it turns out, Blue is feeling generous. He tilts Red’s head back, and leans up on his knees, putting him in a position where _Blue_ is the taller one, where Red is the one having to lean backwards to kiss him.

It’s a head rush, and it makes it even more perfect as Blue dominates his mouth.

Every bone in his body has been lit on fire. He’s burning and desperate, the energy he’s sapping from the other keying him up and making him hungry for more. 

The world spins, and Red kind of loses his sanity.

The next thing he knows, he’s flat on his back, crushing Blue against him, his claws piercing holes into the smaller skeleton’s shirt. His cock is formed and rock hard in his shorts, and when he grinds up forcefully, he feels the other’s magic coalescing underneath the thin material of his panties. 

Gods, Red wants to shove Blue off, get his head underneath his skirt and his mouth between his legs, coax whatever is trying to form to come out. Red wants to go down on him until he screams, make him come until he cries, then climb over him and fuck him raw.

Red _wants Blue._

_Wants to take Blue._

It’s a monumental effort shoving Blue off, every part of him screaming to keep him close, but Red can’t let this single moment of clarity go to waste. He needs to get Blue off before he does something he really regrets.

He groans loudly, frustrated and depraved, when he finally gets Blue off and over on the other side of the couch. His Soul still burns with desire, and he can feel tears forming in his sockets, but somehow he manages to keep himself away, somehow manages to just tremble with need and want, looking away from Blue in shame.

Before he can stammer out apologies, Blue jumps up and lets out a frustrated shout. “I knew it!” Red jolts in his seat, looking up at where the other has pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You haven’t been feeding, have you?”

Red grimaces, turning back away.

“What is wrong with you?? You can’t just starve yourself!” When Red says nothing, Blue lets out an explosive noise, throwing his hands up and beginning to pace. It goes on like that for a few minutes, Red staring intently at the floor, and Blue pacing the room trying to calm down. 

Eventually, Blue runs out of steam. Sits back down next to Red. The silence that falls is uncomfortable, and it’s all Red can do to just sit there, suffering in his own humiliation, feeling Blue’s eyes boring holes into the side of his skull where he’s turned away.

“Red… look at me.” Blue’s voice had softened into something sweet. Red, drawn like a moth to a flame, lifts his head and turns back to face Blue, Soul nearly manifesting at the expression on his face. Love, and worry, and concern, and even more love but… the anger from before is nowhere to be found. 

And Red doesn’t understand.

Blue _should_ be angry. Red hurt him when he started avoiding him, and hurt him some more when he let him find out that Red hasn’t been taking care of himself. Blue should _hate him._ Hate who he is, what he is, what he has to do. Blue shouldn’t be looking at him with that expression of gentleness, he should be throwing him out to the streets where he belongs.

But Blue’s not like that.

“Why haven't you been feeding?”

Red makes a soft, wounded noise, trying again to turn away from the terribly patient look on his little lover’s face. Blue captures his chin in his hand, coaxing Red to look back over, forcing Red to hold his gaze. “Answer me,” he pleads, voice soft and saccharine. 

Red melts almost immediately into the comfort his mate is so clearly offering.

Tears start to fall when he finally manages to speak again, “...i c-can’t stop… thinkin’ about you,” he moans out, head slumping forward as if to hang in sorrow but being stopped short by Blue’s hand underneath his chin. “keep wishin’ it was you an’ when— when m’done I feel so— so fuckin _gross_ cause… cause it wasn’t you..”

“Oh… _Red_ ,” Blue whispers, bringing his hands to Red’s shoulders and leaning in slightly for a faux hug. He’s being mindful of Red’s very obvious need. Red can appreciate the sentiment, but it doesn’t really matter if Blue touches him or not. He’s too keyed up. His engine’s been revved since he first sat down for a night of poker with his mate. The suffocating want isn’t going to stop just because Blue’s fingertips stopped dancing like fire along his bones. “You know I don’t care about that…”

_“i do!”_ He wails, crying freely as the confusing, conflicting emotions bring him to the brink of hysteria. “i don’t want them, i want you! an’ it’s not fair to you that i go out and fuck every John n’ Jane in this town but never so much as touch you! don’t— don’t you _want me?_ ”

Blue hushes him, leaning forward and kissing away his tears. “Hush now. I want you, too, love, of course I do; but I want you to be happy and healthy,” he coos. Blue’s trying so hard to calm him, and Red doesn’t deserve it. Doesn’t deserve Blue’s comfort. Doesn’t deserve his love.

Doesn’t even deserve to be in the same room with him. 

“Tell me, Red. Do the people you feed off of mean anything to you?”

“of course not,” Red responds, quick as fire, the words falling from him fast and honest. He doesn’t want Blue to even _begin_ to think that Red enjoys his time with other people. He could never enjoy it, as long as it’s not Blue. Blue matters more than anyone else in the world, in the entire universe.

“Then why would I care? It’s something you have to do to _live,_ Red. I care a lot more about you _being alive_ than whatever you have to do to stay so.”

Red shakes his head, fighting back his sobs. “but— i… i c-can’t do it, i can’t— i keep thinkin’ of you an’ i just _can’t—_ ”

“Then feed on me.” Blue says, simply.

And that idea rushes through Red, flaring through him, leaving him tingling with a two-faced flood of _godsyesfuckplease_ and _ohgodspleaseno._

He shakes his head wildly. He doesn’t want to hurt Blue, doesn’t even want to give himself the slightest chance of ever taking too much and waking up to a pile of dust on the bed.

“Well, Red, you’ve got to feed on someone, or you’ll just waste away to nothing… if you… if that happens, who will lose to me in poker all the time?” 

Red very almost lets out a sad little laugh at that, but his chest is still hiccoughing on repressed cries. “ain’t ya… ain’t ya jealous?” He blubbers.

Blue sighs, leaning back a little and letting go of Red. He’s being truthful when he responds, “Only a little.” 

“After all, I still have what matters most,” Blue purrs, bringing his hand up and pressing it flat against his own chest. “They may get your body… but I get your _love._ I get your _Soul._ ” 

Red nods, stammering out his ferverish agreement, “o-of course, ‘s all yers, Blue. ‘m all yers, you can have it all,”

“That’s all that matters, Red. That’s all I need.”

It’s silent for a moment, Red’s high strung emotions slowly winding back down. Eventually, he pushes himself into Blue’s arms, and they end up tangling up together for a warm cuddle on Blue’s side of the couch. It’s hard, being this close to his mate like this, but they both want it.

They both need it.

It’s Blue who cuts the silence, leaning down to whisper against his skull, “Promise me you’ll feed tonight.” 

His instinctual response is _I’ll try,_ but Blue deserves better than that. After everything he’s put him through, the least Red can do is have the fucking decency not to argue with him anymore. 

“promise,” he mumbles into Blue’s shirt.

“Thank you.”

—

_(While he does end up feeding that night, it’s nothing more than a sad blowjob he gives to some random human in the filthy bathroom of the bar. He denies the offer to head back to their house. He doesn’t want to touch them any more._

_Blue doesn’t have to know that he didn’t really get much energy that night._

_Blue doesn’t have to know that Red went right back to his destructive ways)_

—

Blue’s off his game tonight, which is shocking considering he hadn’t realized Blue even had a pause button. 

He keeps screwing up, folding on Red’s bluffs, calling him when he’s actually holding a good hand. He seems so distracted, like he’s lost in his own head. He has no stories to tell, no jokes to laugh at. Even the neat little towers his chips are in seem somehow off, seem more messy than usual.

Blue blinks, coming out of his stupor when he reaches for more chips to throw out his blind bet, before he realizes he doesn’t have any. “Oh.” He says, sounding almost dazed. “You cleaned me out.”

“yeah…” He huffs out. It’s the second time he’s ever beaten Blue in poker. The first time had been intense, Red all-in early game with only 2 pair and a prayer; Blue was set with a flush, but the very last card gave Red a full house. The next few hands were just about picking the rest of his chips off, Blue with too little to really do anything. It had been satisfying. 

This time hadn’t.

Red doesn’t feel like he won.

“is something wrong?” He finally voices the question that’s been on his mind all night. 

Blue jolts, locking eyes with Red and flushing. “It’s nothing, I— I just…” He seems to reconsider his response, looking down and picking at the fabric of his skirt. He sits in silence for a while, tension coiling around the room, before he finally looks at Red with an expression of bashful nervousness, looking all out of place and wrong. “Will you… sleep here tonight? With me?”

His Soul almost breaks at the thought of Blue being too scared to ask Red to spend more time with him. How much did his little episode affect Blue that he’s too shy to even ask him to stay over now?

Gods, how badly has he fucked things up between them?

“of course i will,” Red assures him, forcing the wobble out of his voice, forcing the painful emotions he’s feeling deep down. “i love goin’ to sleep next ta ya and wakin’ up in yer arms.”

Blue smiles at him then, genuine and bright, with only a hint of something tortured underneath. “Another game, then?”

Red nods, enthused.

There’s still clearly something troubling him, but Blue’s managed to pick up some of the pieces and put them back together. He seems almost himself.

He’s still not at the top of his game, but he beats Red all the same. 

Everything back in its place.

—

It’s late when they finally put the cards away and head upstairs. The tension that was radiating from Blue never seemed to go away, his smile still seeming forced even as they retired to bed. Red hopes that Blue is still just worried about asking for him to stay, hopes that Blue will be better in the morning after he wakes up and finds Red still cuddled into his side.

Red wouldn’t ever run away from his baby Blue when he asked him so nicely to stay.

He just needs to show Blue that.

Red opts to wear his t-shirt and shorts to bed, having no nightwear. All of Blue’s clothes were much too small for him, so there’s not really much he could do.

Blue, on the other hand, elects to change while Red is sitting right there on his bed. No warning, really, just drops his skirt to the floor with a shuffle of fabric, and Red—

_(and Red stops himself from peeking over his shoulder. Red always stops himself. After all, Blue never gave him permission. Red’s a disgusting pervert for even thinking of looking without asking.)_

—and Red handles that very well.

When the mattress next to him sinks, Red thinks it’s okay to turn back around. He nearly chokes on his own spit when he sees Blue crawling into bed completely naked, whirling his head back around quick enough to give him whiplash. 

_(He didn’t really see much, but, Stars, that glimpse was enough for a lifetime.)_

“You can look at me, you know,” Blue’s voice is loud and striking in the otherwise silence of the room, bringing Red out of his thoughts. “I don’t mind.”

“yer naked!” he blurts out, eloquently.

“I know.” Blue says, rather seriously. “I don’t care if you look.”

And Red, the eternal fool he is, actually does.

He turns his head around slowly, locking eyes with Blue for a moment before— hell, he’s been given permission to look, he might as well _look._ His eyes snake downwards, following the sparkling sapphire curves of Blue’s body. He’s not got his chest formed. Instead, his magic starts at the bottom of his ribs and tapers out and covers him with beautiful cerulean until it disappears underneath the blanket.

Gods, he looks so soft and pudgy, and Red wants nothing more than to lean over and cover him in kisses, getting lower and lower until he’s underneath the covers, pressing a kiss against Blue’s—

Anyways. 

He finally tears his eyes away from Blue’s body and looks back up at his face. He’s watching him intently, expectantly, waiting for Red to say something.

_You’re beautiful,_ he wants to say, but, “w-why?” is all he manages.

“Because it’s hot. If you’re uncomfortable about this, I can put some clothes on.”

There are danger signs and alarm bells going off in his head because _Blue doesn’t get hot, he gets cold._ He’s very clearly, obviously lying about something, but Red ignores all the warnings, and relaxes back into the mattress with a grunt of “nah, s’fine.”

Blue doesn’t lean back though, just sits up further and reaches towards his nightstand, fumbling around in the drawer for something. The action causes the blanket to fall down slightly, but Red keeps his eyes up north; boring holes into the back of Blue’s neck, scared he might act without thinking if he gets even a hint of what delicious things he could delve into down there. 

Gods, he wants him.

“Did you feed last time?” He asks, conversationally.

Red purrs in delight, proud to boast about how he did as he was asked, how he was good. “‘course i did, just like i promised.” He preens in excitement, waiting for Blue to praise him and reward him.

“Have you fed since?”

...oh… 

Red shivers at the sudden spike of cold dread he feels in his Soul. _Please, please not this again_. “y-yes.” His response falls from him a little too quick, a little too cracked.

Blue stops searching for a moment, goes still and goes quiet, before he says, voice low, “Don’t lie to me.”

Red takes in a sharp breath, looking down at the blankets for a second. He murmurs out a soft, sad little “no,” before sitting back up and grasping Blue’s shoulder, trying to get him to turn around. “please don’t be mad at me— i ain’t do it on purpose— i— i’ll do better i promise… please don’t be mad.”

Red barrels through desperate pleas but Blue just shrugs him off and keeps searching.

Red waits, trembling with his worry and his fear, until Blue finally sits back and shuts the drawer, something in his hands. He doesn’t show Red what it is, and Red doesn’t peek around him to look.

“Would you grab a hold of the headboard for me? Just reach up above your head.”

Red’s confused by the request, confused at the way Blue’s voice sounds so blank and guarded. Where there’s usually emotion, there is nothing.

He listens, hesitantly, bringing his arms up above his head and holding onto the wooden bars of the frame. He has to shimmy down a little to do it, leaving him somewhat relaxed against the mattress with his arms raised above his head.

Red doesn’t understand _why_ he’s doing this necessarily. All he knows is Blue asked, so he listened.

After all, he would do anything for Blue, and he knows it.

Blue turns to him finally, hiding whatever he had behind his back. “I love you, Red. That’s… why it’s hard for me to… to watch you just… waste away like this.”

“i know,” He says softly, eyes downcast. Gods, he was awful. “i know it hurts you and i don’t wanna hurt ya anymore. i’ll take better care of myself from now on. promise.”

For a minute, something flickers in Blue expression. His face softens and for a moment, Red thinks he’ll accept his apology. But the look on Blue’s face hardens again and what he says next is like a punch in the stomach.

“I’m sorry… but I don’t believe you anymore.”

Red flexes his grip against the headboard, wanting desperately to reach out for Blue, but keeping himself still because he hasn’t been told he could let go.

“I can’t… I’m _not_ going to watch you do this to yourself any longer,” Blue’s voice is firm, and there’s Determination scrawled across his face. He rolls on top of Red, pinning him to the mattress with his weight. “I’m… not _letting_ you do this to yourself any longer.”

The thing about starving yourself for extended periods of time is you become a little slow on the draw. Red’s reflexes aren’t totally online right now, so when what was behind Blue’s back turns out to be a pair of handcuffs, Red tries to escape just a few seconds too late.

“what are you doing?” he demands as Blue pulls back once his hands are securely cuffed to the bed.

“I’m going to stop you from killing yourself.”

_Stop him from killing himself?_

“wh—!” 

Red cries out loudly when Blue’s tongue meets his neck, head snapping immediately to the side to give him more access. The magic of his mate’s tongue sparks against him like lightning, waking up his entire nervous system, firing him up and getting him ready to go. He can feel his cock stiffening, feels it leaking pre-cum already.

Gods, he wants a taste. Wants to lean over and capture Blue’s mouth, feel those delicious sparkles in his.

So he doesn’t fight himself, angling his head towards Blue and delighting when he indulges him in a sloppy, crooked kiss.

He moans almost instantly, arching up into Blue and squirming under him. Blue feels so good, tastes so good, smells so good. Red wants everything his mate is willing to give him and more. Wants to fuck him in whatever hole he wants, stuff him full of his cum until he’s dripping, and Gods— Blue’s ready to take it from him, isn’t he? That’s why he’s kissing on him so roughly, that’s why he’s naked above him, that’s why—

That’s why—

He’s handcuffed to the—

_Oh fuck_ —

_“I’m going to stop you from killing yourself.”_

Red shouts and forces himself away from the kiss, turning his head and panting out a rushed, “what are— what are you doing??” 

He squirms for a different reason, tugging on the cuffs and getting nowhere. When Blue doesn’t respond to him, doesn’t quit exploring his body with his tongue, he yells out, “stop! stop! get off!”

Blue just keeps sucking on his collarbone, ignoring him as he slips a hand down to touch himself. He’s trying to excite himself, trying to offer up more for Red to take, but Red...

Red doesn’t want it.

_Red does not want it._

“get tha fuck off!!” he shouts, arching up quickly and violently enough to startle Blue off of him. He yanks his hands _hard,_ sending splintering cracks up the frame that he’s handcuffed too, but it’s not enough to get him free.

Before he can try that little move again, Blue’s hand jets out and Red feels his entire body _freeze._ There’s a tightness in his chest like someone has a hand around his Soul.

He’s been turned blue.

“let go!” he wails, trying to fight against Blue’s magic to no avail. Blue is _strong,_ and right now, Red’s too indisposed to muster up enough magic and energy to fight back. “p-please let go— n-no— no don’t— no!”

He sobs as Blue’s free hand cups him through his shorts, massaging his bulge gently, as if trying to stimulate him into arousal.

_(Jokes on Blue. Despite his protests, he’s painfully hard, and one wrong move from soiling his shorts)_

Blue doesn’t even look at him.

“stop! i don’t want this! i don’t want _you_!”

Finally, Blue stops for a fraction of a second, pulling his hand away from the tent in Red’s shorts. He freezes there, trembling as if Red had burnt him with his scalding words.

It’s too silent for too long.

“Yes, you do.” Blue finally says. “You told me you did. You’re just afraid of hurting me but… I’ll be fine. Just let me take care of you.”

_“no.”_ he growls.

It’s silent for another moment before Blue sighs, long and shaky and broken. “You don’t have a choice.” He grabs onto the front of Red’s shorts, pulling them down enough to free his swollen cock. 

Blue crawls over top of him, his face tucked into his own chest where Red can’t see it, positioning his hips so Red’s cock glides against his cunt.

_Fuck—_

The slick smears against him and he cries out, feeling his Soul take Blue’s magic from it, wanting to suck him dry.

Red screams and tries to jerk his hips away, but the magic gripping his Soul stops him. “e-either you let me g-go now or… or _we’re done._ ” Red hisses, lacing his voice with as much venom as he can muster.

His threat is empty, but it hangs between them all the same. Blue finally looks back up at him. There are tears streaming down his face and Red understands: Blue doesn’t want to do this to Red just as much as Red doesn’t want this to happen.

For a moment, Blue freezes and Red thinks he might actually listen, but instead he just takes a determined, shaky breath. 

“Listen, I’m not stopping okay? So either you break up with me now and go feed on someone else or shut up and just— j-just let me do this.”

Blue always was good at calling his bluffs.

Red’s stunned silent by the ultimatum. It doesn’t matter what he says, the choices are the same. Hurt Blue, or hurt Blue. If he had his senses, he’d say they were done, so Blue wouldn’t ever end up in this position again; but he can’t bring himself to do it, even as the words are on the tip of his tongue. He’s greedy and selfish, and Blue is the best thing that’s ever happened to him. He wants to keep him.

So Red just resigns, folds like a bad hand in poker, and murmurs out a soft, “okay.”

They both moan when Blue takes him, Red’s cock being swallowed up by his mate’s greedy little cunt. It’s something Red thought he’d never see.

He wishes it hadn’t been like this.

Blue lets out a soft sigh, leaning back and bracing a hand on one of Red’s legs, bringing his other up to rub his clit between two fingers. He stays like that, rubbing himself off, walls fluttering around Red. 

A few minutes pass. And a few more.

Finally, desperate, Red asks him, “what’re you doin’?”

“I’m going to make myself come all over your cock, Red.” Blue says, bluntly as if it were obvious and—

Oh.

_Oh no._

Blue wants to come first.

_Red needs to come first._

If Blue spills all over him and Red hasn’t been calmed by an orgasm of his own, there’s no telling how keyed up he’ll get, no telling how much energy Red will sap.

No telling how much more control he’ll lose.

“please, baby, move,” Red begs, trying to hurry things along. He’s so close already just being inside of Blue, Soul soaring as it’s finally being given what it's craved so desperately for so long. It wouldn’t take much to get him off, but Blue’s not giving him anything other than the involuntary clenches that happen when he rubs himself just right.

“No, I don’t think so. I wanna take real good care of you. Get you nice and full. I gotta come first to do that don’t I?”

Suddenly, Red regrets telling Blue so much about how he feeds.

“ah— please— i— wanna make you feel good,” he tries again, unrelenting.

“I feel plenty good like this.”

“b-but— this— this can't be enough to get you off!” Red protests.

Blue makes an amused noise, tilting his head and pausing the little strokes on his clit. “You’re right… maybe I need to help myself along then, hmm?”

Red nearly chokes on his own want when Blue reaches up to his chest and drags out his own Soul. He tries very hard not to look, but the glowing organ shines bright, and calls for him, and for the life of him, Red cannot tear his eyes away as Blue brings it up for a kiss.

Red moans as if it were _his_ Soul against Blue’s teeth. He watches with rapt attention as Blue massages his Soul into wetness, tongue snaking out every now and then to lick at it, shuddering out a cry against the core of his being every time he does. 

Blue’s Soul drips onto his hand, slicking it up with silvery, cyan liquid that Red would give anything to taste. He arches forwards before he can stop himself. Finds that the magic holding his Soul in place is gone. He doesn’t try to escape again. 

He wants it too much.

_Needs_ it too much.

Blue cries out, leaning forward, hand ripping away from his cunt to brace himself on Red’s chest. A full body shiver wracks him, and he clenches hard around Red’s cock. “T-tell me that you love me still,” he moans softly. “Tell me that you forgive me for this, please.”

The tears are back in his lover’s sockets, falling freely even as he sobs pleasure into his own Soul.

Blue’s close, on the very edge, but he’s in pain and Red knows how it feels, coming with your hands on your Soul but the emotions are all wrong. He can save Blue from that, if he just tells him the truth; but letting Blue come on him like that, intense and strong right over his weeping cock would be the ruin of him.

One way of making sure this all goes up in flames.

He’s never been good at self-denial though. He’s even worse at denying Blue.

Red throws kerosene on the fire.

“i’ll always love ya, Blue, no matter what.”

Blue moans again, throaty and loud. Tosses his head back with it. “D-Do you forgive me? Please, _please_ forgive me.”

“of course i forgive ya,” he breathes, and the words are the honest truth. His mate could do nothing to upset him, nothing to drive him away. Red loves like war, and he won’t stop fighting until Blue’s the one telling him to retreat. “my beautiful baby Blue.”

The smaller skeleton _wails,_ his entire body locking up as he comes hard enough to squirt around Red’s cock, and for a few moments, their bliss is shared. Blue’s energy lances through him, electrifying and raw. It’s icy-hot, leaving him burning and cold and shivering for more. It’s more than he’s had in months and Red whines high and pathetic as he finally feels a little bit of relief from the roiling hunger and need inside of him.

As Blue comes down, so does he. 

Red whines, coming back to himself, realizing just _how much_ magic he probably just syphoned from Blue. He starts to shake, starts to cry, because his cock is still rock hard where it’s buried in Blue’s cunt. His Soul still begs for more.

Blue hushes him. Brings him his Soul, bright and dripping. The beautiful heart-shaped organ floats directly in front of his face, close enough that he could kiss it if he wanted. “Lick.” he demands.

Red gasps, understanding what Blue is offering. A taste of his raw magic, potent and strong. He shakes his head wildly, not trusting himself. Not trusting that he won’t lose himself in the taste, that he won’t end up draining Blue entirely.

Blue sighs, leans forward a little, rolls his hips where they’re still connected. “Please,” he murmurs, almost soundless. “I want to show you.”

“th-then let my hands down— show me that way.”

Blue shakes his head, offering up his Soul once more. “Lick.”

Red whines as Blue brushes the core of his being against his teeth. He can feel the magic sparking there like firecrackers, and he can hear the way it hums low with energy. He sobs, so tempted to give in and let himself take. Let himself have.

His will is destroyed when Blue’s thumb hooks into his jaw, coaxing his mouth open. 

Red moans as he presses his tongue against Blue’s essence, feeling his lover in his most pure form. The taste isn’t a taste, rather, an explosion of emotions and thoughts and sounds. He’s experiencing everything Blue is, was, and ever will be; licking it up off his Soul like a panting dog over a bowl of water.

“O-oh…” Blue moans, shakily. “That’s... You’re so good for me, precious. L-let me— Let me _show you._ ”

And the taste seems to change. 

The muddled mess of feelings and memories focuses, and Red gasps as Blue shows him. Shows him how much he loves him. Shows him how it feels to be around him. Shows him the care and pride and happiness he feels.

Most importantly, shows him how he’s fine. 

Blue shows him that every time they kiss, he doesn’t feel the energy being drained at all. He shows him that, even now, as he’s given up so much magic for Red to feed on, that he doesn’t feel even the slightest bit exhausted. 

He was like an eternal flame, burning bright. He has excess magic in spades, and a deep-seeded desire to _give_ to Red.

And Red, not for the first time, finds himself longing to give in.

“Go on, Red… it’s okay… you can take.” Blue husks out, offering up more of himself, more of those wonderful feelings. “I want you to. Take. Feed on me. I’m in control here, I’ll stop you if I start getting weak.”

And so… Red does.

He moans aloud and cries in relief as he finally lets himself take the magic that he’s been craving ever since he met his little lover. Blue shows him what it feels like as he does, the way it’s pulled from him gently, the way it exposes him and makes him sensitive and raw. He shows him the way it drags him close to the edge in seconds, just through the satisfaction and relief he feels as Red finally feeds. Blue can’t do much more than gurgle out words of praise above him, but Red tastes every sentence on his Soul before he manages to try to babble it out.

He burns his own love into the surface of Blue’s being, sparking his magic and letting spit well in his mouth to try and strengthen the pseudo-bond. Maybe one day, Red will share his Soul, too, and be able to show Blue so much clearer how he feels. 

“C-close,” Blue chokes out, impressively coherent given the circumstances. “Red— love, I want— I need you to—”

Red already knows.

Slowly, he opens his mouth, eyes peeking up bashfully as Blue’s Soul starts to disappear behind his teeth. “Stars— _Yes,_ that, _exactly_ — so perfect—” he babbles, leaning forward. He cups Red’s chin in his, tilts his face up just a little. They lock eyes, and Blue moans raggedly. “Take it, please— take it _all._ ”

He does, letting Blue’s essence slide into his mouth and closing his jaws. Blue almost screams, convulsing at the pleasure, twisting around and arching his back until he looks almost like a pretzel. “Gods— yes— just a little more, please g-ive— give me—” 

Red pushes his tongue against Blue’s Soul _hard,_ gently sucking on the magic as he does so. Blue whines high and long, giving one last full body shudder before yelling out, unabashed, “FUCK!”

The organ in his mouth _explodes_ , coating his throat with sickly sweet, icy-hot _Blue._ The fluid that leaks from their Souls isn’t slick, it’s pure magic, and the sheer amount Red’s swallowing down is enough to energize him for a lifetime. 

He purrs his satisfaction against Blue’s very being, making him tremble and sob with powerful aftershocks. Yeah, Soul orgasms are powerful on their own, and what Red’s getting in just the feedback loop already seems pretty strong. Blue’s gonna be wiped out for days.

“No m’not,” Blue slurs, slumping forward as he comes down from his high. Red opens his teeth and lets the organ in his mouth float out harmlessly. Blue cups it in a hand and lazily guides it back to his chest where it disappears behind his ribcage, back where it belongs. “Not done with you yet.”

Red snorts and tilts his head. “You look like you’re barely awake.” 

Blue grins, clenches down on Red where he’s still deep within him, where he’s still hard and twitching. Red groans. “Guess I’ll have to make you do all the work then, huh?” Blue purrs, reaching up for the handcuffs that have locked Red to the bed. He pauses, seeming suddenly uncertain. “You… Do you… want to?”

Red supposes he should be angry and revolted that Blue forced him like this. Supposes he should tell him no and leave and never come back. The thing is, though, when Red looks up at Blue, sees him with guilt and shame written all over his face he realizes…

_He would have done the exact same thing._

He was begging for it in the end, wasn’t he? Who cares if the start of the road was bumpy. It’s too much work to worry about what he _should_ feel, and so much easier to just give in to the way he _really_ feels.

Red arches up and plants a kiss where Blue’s the closest, which turns out to be his collarbone. “‘course i want to. just wonderin’ if you could handle it.”

Then, Blue smiles at him, _really_ smiles at him. Bright and innocent and very genuine. It’s been a good long time since Blue’s smile looked right on him. Red’s glad it finally does.

“I just wrestled a demon into submission, I think I’ve proved I can handle myself very well.”

Red laughs, head falling to the pillows as he throws his head back with it. Glad to see he and Blue are on the same page. Neither of them are going to care about this as long as the other doesn’t. As Red watches Blue unlock the handcuffs with a safety notch _(they were fake, Red could have freed himself all along)_ he realizes that if _this_ is what he has waiting for him in the future, Blue being bright and lovely and beautiful, touching him because he _wanted to..._

Well, _why would he ever care?_

~fin

**Author's Note:**

> **WARNING**  
> Blue makes Red have sex with him to basically save his life. While they end up both wanting it in the end, Blue forces himself on Red. His motives are in the right place, but Red says no clearly, several times, and Blue doesn't stop. Later on, Red gives consent, but it's somewhat forced out of him. This fic isn't happy and fluffy, and while I'd love to call this still dub-con, it skews the line. Please be cautious reading this. If any of this puts you off, do not read. Be safe :)  
> ****
> 
> *The Dead Man’s Hand originated from the old west, some people were playing poker and one of the players got shot as the round was ending. His hand was two pair, 8s and aces, which is the hand Red deals Blue earlier on in the fic. Yeah yeah, the joke is a groaner, but it sounds like a badass, title doesn’t it?
> 
> anyways, sex demon red headcanons
> 
> He saps energy through sex and basically that's the only way he can eat k. he can eat monster food but like, shit's gonna make him sick. Sapping energy from humans is less dangerous than sapping it from monster's, because the worst a human will do is pass out on him and be weak for a couple of days. If he's not careful, he could end up dusting a monster, because monsters are /made/ of energy. blue's able to share energy with Red with no real worry because magical soulmate bullshit dictates to Red how much he can safely take. He stops sapping energy without ever realizing it, cause Red's Soul could never harm Blue's.
> 
> and then they have sex a lot because red's libido has been re-awoken by blue's wiles
> 
> sorry that these notes are fuzzled as shit i've been up all night writing this goddamn monster of a fic.


End file.
